Make You Feel My Love
by Leaves of Green
Summary: Minerva is on the rise as a star transfiguration student at Hogwarts, and later as a Ministry success, but how will her relationship with her transfiguration professor blossom into a life long love?
1. A New Day Has Come

Disclaimer and A/N: All characters and places from the HP Universe belong to J.K Rowling. The story title comes from the Adele's cover of "Make You Feel My Love", and the chapter title is taken from Celine Dion's "A New Day Has Come". I own nothing; all rights belong to their original creators. I'm just having some fun!

A New Day Has Come

When the new transfiguration professor walked through the door, there was no way that Minerva McGonagall would be able to comprehend that what this man would come to mean to her. Minerva was a student in her fifth year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. At the age of fifteen, Minerva was already advanced beyond her years in the art of transfiguration, as her previous teachers had begun to take note of. Minerva was anxious to meet the new transfiguration teacher, considering that it was her favorite subject. The last thing she needed was to be at odds with the teacher that taught the most important class to her.

When Albus Dumbledore walked into the classroom, it lit a spark in Minerva that would burn for longer than she could possibly hope to imagine at that time. Albus was a man nearing his forties, but he shone with a radiant glow that made him appear half his age. He was attractive, as the young ladies in the room would take note, but modestly so. As he walked to the front of the classroom, Minerva prepared her quill and parchment to take notes from the new professor's lecture.

"Good morning! Come now, why the long faces? It is a magical day today!"

Albus received blank stares from his students. Most students of fifteen would rather be asleep at this time, not sitting in a transfiguration classroom. Minerva was surprised by this man the second he opened his mouth to speak. There was something in his voice that was purely intoxicating to her, like tea and honey.

"Up!" shouted the professor cheerily, raising his arms in tandem "Up, up, up!"

As the students rose from their seats, the chairs they had been sitting on turns into ravens and began to circle the room, flying higher and higher. The students were transfixed by the spectacle unfolding in front of their very eyes. As the ravens made a slow, circular descent, they landed on the desks of the students and were then transfigure, with a wave of Albus's wand, into animated bronze lions, roaring with pride. The lions jumped to the floor in perfect synchronicity, and returned their form to the chairs the students had been sitting in. The room full of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws burst into applause. Their professor took a small bow, and made a gesture for the students to take their seats again.

"I am Professor Albus Dumbledore." Albus, said, and with a wave of his wand, his name appeared on the board beside him. All eyes were on the man standing in front of the classroom. "I am here to teach you of beauty, to teach you great skill, and above all, to teach you how to have a little fun. Now, who in this classroom would like to learn how to do the spells I just performed?"

Every hand in the room shot up instantly.

Minerva walked through the halls of Hogwarts after her final class of the day with her best friend, Poppy Pomfrey. The first day of classes were always Minerva's favorite and today was no exception. She had enjoyed all of her classes that day, especially since she had dropped the useless divination, and she was excited to learn the new material her classes had to offer. And the new transfiguration teacher? There was just something about him that intrigued Minerva, especially after his exceptional performance of skill in class that morning.

"Password?"

Minerva was jolted back to reality from her own little world by the sudden voice of the fat lady.

"Inquiry." said Poppy, and the door to Gryffindor tower flung open.

The girls entered the Gryffindor common room, and made their way up to their room. Minerva immediately made her way to her desk and began to open her transfiguration book.

"Seriously, Minerva? There was no homework tonight! How often will that ever happen?"

Well forgive me Poppy if I'm concerned with my studies. There's no harm in getting a head start.

"Oh, I see." Poppy said as she dropped her bag on her bed and proceeded to Minerva's desk, sitting herself on the corner "You're just trying to impress Professor Dumbledore."

Minerva looked in shock as her friend snickered.

"Of course that's the reason; you couldn't take your eyes of him. I mean, it's normal for you to be all eyes for your professor during a lecture, but this went above and beyond. Don't worry, Min, I'm not judging you. He's not bad on the eyes. And I sure would like to see what's under all those extra layers of robes, if you get my drift."

"I…uh…um." Minerva stuttered, not knowing how to respond, and unaware if what Poppy had said about her feelings towards her new professor was the truth. "Oh, look at the time, Poppy. It's time to meet Pomena."

With that, Minerva made her way to the door, leaving Poppy chuckling in her wake.


	2. October

A/N: The title of this chapter is taken from Evanescence's song, "October". Enjoy!

October

The colors of autumn were in full bloom, giving Hogwarts a beautiful glow. The crisp autumn air swept over the grounds towards where Minerva McGonagall sat reading her transfiguration book beneath a willow that overlooked the lake. Realizing that she had only fifteen minutes until class, Minerva began to make her way up to the castle. She wove her way through the maze of hallways with an effortless ease, gliding into her favorite classroom in the school. Minerva took her place at the center desk in the front of the classroom. She prepared her quill and ink and readied her parchment for today's class. As the rest of the students trickled in, Professor Albus Dumbledore entered through the front of the classroom.

"Good morning, Class! Today, we are going to work on a rather difficult piece of transfiguration. We will be taking the next two weeks or so to work on this particular spell, as it is so complex. But I have no doubt," Dumbledore added as the students groaned, "That all of you will have mastered it completely by the time we are finished. Now grab a partner and turn to page one hundred and thirty three of your textbooks."

Minerva and Poppy paired together and opened their textbooks to the page their professor had instructed.

"Oh, I love this spell!" exclaimed Minerva.

"Ricordi d'infanzia?" questioned Poppy "What does it do?" Their teacher answered the question for the class.

"This is a spell that transfigures whatever object you cast the spell on into a beloved object of your childhood. The difficulty in this spell is that you must truly concentrate because you do not choose the object; the spell decides it for you. Now, my friends, the first step in performing this spell is to imagine your favorite childhood memories. Not a single object, not a single memory. But a collection. Play these images in your head over and over again. As they continue to reel through your mind, imagine the object you are trying to transfigure seeping its way into your memories. When you are satisfied that you are ready, repeat the incantation 'Ricordi d'infanzia'. At first you may see no results, and as we continue with this spell over the next two weeks you may transfigure your object into another object of little importance. But when you successfully have mastered the spell, you will know by the radiant golden glow it gives off. Any questions?" Albus paused to survey the class for any raised hands. "Good. Give it a whirl!"

Minerva and Poppy looked at their objects. Poppy had a small china teacup, and Minerva had a small crystal vase.

"Ok, I'll try it first." Poppy said. "I'm sure I'll take longer to master it then you will. Freak." She added lovingly.

Poppy closed her eyes, and for several minutes kept them shut, with a look of severe concentration on her face. She opened them slowly, focusing on her teacup.

"Ricordi d'infanzia!" shouted Poppy with a swish of her wand. Professor Dumbledore walked over to see Poppy's results. Her teacup began to vibrate, and levitating a few inches in the air before falling gently back upon the desk.

"Very good, Miss Pomfrey, very good indeed!" exclaimed Professor Dumbledore with excitement.

"But it hardly did anything at all!"

"Like I said, this is a rather difficult spell. Any sign that it has registered after your first attempt is a step in the right direction. I believe it is your turn, Miss McGonagall." Albus said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Yes, Professor." Minerva responded before closing her eyes.

Minerva pictured various memories from her childhood. Opening presents by the fireplace on Christmas morning. Running through the Scottish hillside with her father. Making homemade scones and clotted cream with her mother. Picnics by the lake with her family. Horseback riding with her brother and sister. Quidditch matches with her siblings and cousins. All these images swirled through her head, over and over, replaying constantly.

Slowly Minerva began to place the vase in her memories. A vase of flowers on the mantle Christmas morning. Picking flowers with her father and placing them in the vase for her mother. The vase of flowers sitting on the kitchen table as she and her mother baked their goodies. The vase on the picnic table as her family ate lunch. The vase on the sill of the stables as she prepared her horse. The vase sitting again on the kitchen table as she came in to the house for cookies with her siblings and her cousins after a long Quidditch match. Minerva allowed these images to swirl in her mind as she slowly opened her eyes, raised her wand, and whispered "Ricordi d'infanzia!"

The vase began to vibrate and rise into the air, where it was consumed by an exploding, golden light. The vase had transformed into a beautiful wooden doll. Surrounded by a golden glow, the doll slowly descended back to the desk. Minerva picked the doll up with astonishment. It looked exactly like the doll her grandfather had made her for her fifth birthday.

"Brilliant, Miss McGonagall, that was absolutely brilliant! I have never seen anyone master that spell so quickly. Have you tried it before today?"

"Once before, but my results were similar to Poppy's earlier attempt."

"Excellent, Miss McGonagall, excellent! Ten points to Gryffindor. Now class, that is the result we are hoping for, we'll work more on this spell tomorrow. Miss McGonagall," Albus said softly "May I have a word with you? In my office?"

Minerva nodded and followed her professor to his office located in in the front of the classroom.

"Please, have a seat." Albus said, gesturing to one of the two seats sitting in front of his desk. She took a seat as Albus sat behind his desk.

"I do not want to keep you long, as I know you must be anxious for the Halloween festivities tonight. However, Miss McGonagall, the spell you performed today is a particular favorite of mine. It took me a full week of constant practice to master that spell. I applaud you for your skill."

"Thank you, sir."

"I've been keeping an eye on you, Miss McGonagall, and never have I seen a more natural talent at transfiguration. You are more advanced than even I was at your age. I see you reading your textbook quite often. Tell me, have you completed it?"

"Yes sir, twice already. I'm reading it for the third time."

"That is wonderful indeed. However, I believe it might begin to get rather dull."

"Oh, no sir! I find the spells to be fascinating."

"I'm sure you do. Do you see these shelves, Miss McGonagall? All of these books are books on transfiguration. Come, have a look."Albus rose from behind his desk, guiding Minerva to the bookcases, where hundreds of books lined the shelves.

"Oh, Professor, these are wonderful! There are so many!"

"Oh, yes." Albus chuckled. "I also have a private collection in my rooms and another at my home. These are some of the more common transfiguration books available on the market."

"Wow." was all Minerva could say in awe.

"Here," Albus said, taking a book off the shelf. "I want you to have this. It's yours to keep." He added. "I have several copies of this particular volume. I think you will find it to be quite enjoyable."

"Oh thank you, Professor Dumbledore, thank you ever so much!"

"You're more than welcome, Miss McGonagall. And I would be happy to loan you any of the books I have here, all you need to do is ask. It is truly wonderful to see a student with such a passion for transfiguration. Now if you need help with any of those spells in that book, just come to me. I will be glad to assist you. Run along, Miss McGonagall. I will see you at the festivities tonight."

Albus and Minerva locked eyes with each other for a moment, and exchanged a look that neither of the two was ready to understand. Minerva smiled at her professor as she rushed out of the classroom, anxious to begin reading her new gift.


	3. Back to December

A/N: Chapter title taken from Taylor Swift's song. Enjoy!

Chapter 3- Back to December

Minerva looked out of the window of her room in Gryffindor tower to see the grounds of Hogwarts covered in a magical blanket of snow. How quickly the first semester had gone by, she thought as she continued to pack he bags. Today had been the final day of classes before the holidays, and tomorrow the train would leave for King's Cross station at promptly 11:00 a.m. As Minerva continued to pack, an owl appeared at the window holding a letter addressed to her. Minerva took the letter from the owl and fetched him a treat from her private stash. The owl remained perched on the window sill, waiting for a reply.

_My dear Miss McGonagall,_

_I know this letter comes rather late, but I was hoping that you could join me for morning tea before you leave for the holidays. There is a matter I would like to discuss with you. Please send your reply with this owl. If you are unable to attend, and I do not get a chance to see you before you leave, I wish you safe travels and happy holidays._

_Sincerely yours,_

_Professor Albus P.W.B Dumbledore _

Minerva ran to grab quill and parchment for her response

_Dear Professor Dumbledore,_

_I would be glad to join you tomorrow morning. Enjoy your evening, Professor!_

_With sincerity,_

_Minerva M. McGonagall_

Minerva gave the letter to the waiting owl, and watched him fly away into the night. Minerva had been spending quite a bit of her free time with her professor over the past few months. She would make sure to stay after class to ask him questions on the day's lesson, or reflect on something he said in class. Minerva had practically raided Dumbledore's collection of books, and had mastered many spells that were more advanced than her years. Minerva only needed help from Albus occasionally with these more complex spells, and Minerva was very proud of his accomplishments. There were many times when Minerva would spend hours talking to Professor Dumbledore in his office, about everything under the sun, from history to literature, to war and politics.

"Professor?" Minerva had asked during one of these evening visits, sitting her tea on the table.

"Yes, Miss McGonagall?"

"Well you see, Sir," Minerva started hesitantly "There have been some rumors circulating around the school, and I'm not sure is this is even an appropriate discussion to have with you, but Professor, I am worried."

Albus looked at his star pupil, this young woman who was starting to mean a great deal to him, and saw an emotion that he was not even sure the strong Gryffindor possessed. Worry and fear.

"Professor, there have been many whispers about Grindewald." Minerva said, taking a moment to consider what she was about to say. "They are saying that he has been recruiting within the school to form an army. And that is not even the worst part, Professor. There are students who truly want to fight beside him, 'For the greater good!"

"I see." Albus said gently, seeing that there was more that was troubling her.

"And Professor, there are more rumors."

"Are there?"

"Yes. They say that you knew Grindewald personally, and now you are forming your own army to retaliate. They say you are leaving to fight."

When Dumbledore looked at Minerva, he could tell that this last bit upset her more than the threat of an evil forces rising up against the Wizarding World.

"Minerva," Albus said, calling his student by her first name, something that he rarely did, "I can assure you that I am not leaving this school anytime soon. My place is here, at Hogwarts."

His words comforted her somewhat, but he could see that she was still concerned. Albus placed his hand over Minerva's hand resting in the table. The gesture sent chills running down Minerva's spine.

"I am going to share something with you that very few people have heard. I know that I can trust you to keep this information to yourself."

"Of course, Sir." Minerva exclaimed with sincerity. Albus gave her hand a gentle squeeze as he continued.

"I knew Gellert Grindewald when I was a young man, fresh out of Hogwarts. We became fast friends, and I am ashamed to say we shared similar interest. Gellert and I had plans for a new Wizarding World. Unfortunately, there was a serious accident, and that is what made me finally see the fault in my power-hungry ambitions. As for Grindewald, forming an army, I do know that he is recruiting followers, and yes, it does seem as if he intends to fight. But it is still too early for us to know what the future holds. However, If I am to be completely honest with you, my dear, then I must tell you that the ministry has asked for my help regarding the situation, as I did know Grindewald personally, and van give them a better sense of the man. As for now, my involvement will not lead me away from my duties at the school."

"So you will be back next term, Professor?"

"Yes, I will be. And you, my dear, should probably be getting back to Gryffindor tower. It is almost your curfew." He said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Okay. Thank you so much Professor Dumbledore." Minerva said as she rose from her seat, Albus doing the same.

"You're very welcome, Minerva." He said as he took a step closer to the young witch. He could see the worry in her emerald green eyes, and Albus had never wanted anything more in life then to erase the worry that troubled her. He did the only thing he could think of doing in the situation, and pulled Minerva into a comforting embrace. She clung to him, and gently burrowed her head into his chest as he rubbed her back.

"You are safe, my dear. I would never let anything harm you."

Slowly pulling away, Albus looked his student straight in the eye. "I am here for you, day or night, whenever you need me. Remember that."

"I will, Professor Dumbledore. Thank you." Minerva left the room feeling as if she would never be afraid again.

The morning she was to leave for holiday Minerva McGonagall stepped inside Albus Dumbledore's office, where a small table had been setup with a simple breakfast tea.

"Good morning, Professor Dumbledore."

"Ahh, good morning to you as well, Miss McGonagall. Please, come join me." He said, gesturing to the table. They took their seats as Albus reached for the teapot.

"Earl Grey?" Albus asked.

"Yes, please."

"Milk or sugar?"

"A small bit of milk, thanks."

"Would you care for a bite to eat? I had an assortment of pastries and biscuits sent up by the house elves, but if you fancy a proper meal I can have them whips something up."

"Thank you, Sir. This will do just fine." Minerva said as she took a few ginger newts and a scone, spreading it with clotted cream. The pair made small talk as they enjoyed their tea.

"Miss McGonagall, I am sure you are wondering why I asked you here this morning. You are the most gifted witch in transfiguration that this school has ever seen. Your talent goes well beyond that of any other student in your year. You crave knowledge in the study of transfigurations, and you seek it whenever you can. I have spoken to the headmaster, and we both believe that you would benefit immensely from more specialized training. That being said, if you are interested, I would like to offer you private lessons in advanced transfigurations, beginning as soon as classes resume."

Minerva's eyes lit up with the delightful news. "Oh, thank you Professor! I would absolutely be interested. Thank you so much! Oh, I hope the holidays fly by quickly, I cannot wait for classes to start again."

Albus chuckled. "Your train will be leaving soon. Enjoy your holidays a little. January will be here before you know it."

"I will, Professor. Thank you." She nearly squealed before giving her professor a brief hug. "Enjoy your holiday, Professor Dumbledore."

"Safe travels, Miss McGonagall."

Albus watched as the train left Hogsmeade station for London, wondering why it pained him so to say goodbye to one young witch in particular…


End file.
